Many products on the market are sold loaded upon regularly-sized platforms. For example, pipette tips used for sample testing in laboratories are typically loaded into pipette tip flats so that the user need not handle the pipette tips individually. By using platform loading, goods can be efficiently stored and transported in large quantities, as the platforms can be stacked and/or packaged one atop the other.
In many applications, it is desirable to utilize a device that facilitates dispensing of platforms from a stack. For example, hand loading of pipette tip flats onto pipette tip racks is generally difficult and inefficient, as the pipette tip flat must be steadily maintained in parallel and aligned with the pipette tip rack for the pipette tips extending through the flat to register with and fit into the rack. Further, in applications where contamination of the goods loaded onto the platforms is a concern or where the goods are dangerous if handled by human operators, utilizing a device for unloading the platforms removes the risks of contamination and/or injury posed by human handling of the platforms.
While current devices offer various advantages over the manual handling of pipette tip flats, there exists a continuing need for a reusable dispensing device, which can dispense units of platform loaded goods and can be simply and reliably operated by an automated system processing the units of platform loaded goods.